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Companies that use large semi-trailers to haul their products need a little extra support to get the most out of their shipments. Truckload logistics software works best for companies that produce enough freight to use full truckload shipping. There are alternative software choices that are just as helpful for smaller to mid-sized companies that must use less than truckload shipping for cost effectiveness. This shipping alternative takes the freight of many companies and fills a truck. The cost is split between the companies using the service. Both types of software can be used to perform better management of freight. This work can also be contracted to third party logistics experts. What most companies find is that the software gives them better control and is a much smaller, reliable investment. The struggling economy has left many companies trying to determine how to decrease budget costs so they can continue to be profitable. Logistics is one way to lower shipping costs and manage company freight. By being able to maximize the load capacity and pick the best routes, costs are drastically decreased making the software very useful.

Truckload Logistics Software: How Does It Save Companies Money?

Companies that do not rely on truckload logistics software often result to hiring third party providers. There are many reasons why this does not produce the desired cost savings. Third party providers are in the business to make money as everyone else. They choose routes and carriers that in turn make them a profit. By using managing your own shipping choices, every carrier and route chosen benefit the company and making someone else profitable is completely taken out of the picture. The weakened economy has also caused many third party logistics companies to increase rates. Discounts given by carriers have almost diminished and they must make up for the price difference. These discounts are a main source for their profit. A higher price is charged to your company over the discounted price. Third party providers also only deal with carriers that offer favorable discounts. This reduces the amount of choices available when using these services. Software meant for logistics management removes this entire scenario and puts shipping back in company hands.

Truckload Logistics Software Does Not Have Expensive or Difficult To Implement

Truckload logistics software is not this huge project that will take years to put in place. The software is easy to set up and is done so by professionals. Companies that provide this software make it simple to integrate into existing systems. What should you look for when evaluating software requirements? First, look for a company that uses non-proprietary tools. This reduces dependency on the software provider when something changes with your business or the technology being used. Software that operates with common operating systems and has non-dependent tools and utilities will work better in the existing technological environment. It will also be easier to use, more familiar, and cost much less. With the right company and software, implementation can be very simple. The upfront cost of purchase and set up is fractional compared to the amount of money saved on shipping.

The technological development in each field of the market was soon followed by evolutionary steps of logistics softwares and IT companies. Today there are many software companies that provide the highest quality and friendly software solutions to the Transportation Industry. Their softwares are designed to be industry oriented from the ground up. The industry-oriented approach is reflected by their market focus, products, service offerings, the customer support, and the talent base they employ.

True professional companies always stay on the cutting edge of technology innovations to deliver state-of- the art solutions to their clients. Therefore, if you have an important business to run in the transportation industry, you would better not waste anymore time and purchase at least a lite logistics suite, an affordable, but still a powerful one. Its solutions may include Freight Forwarding Software, Purchase Order Management, Real-Time Online Cargo Tracking, Inventory Control Software, Third-Party Logistics System (3PL), Trucking Software with Cross-Dock and Dispatch, Integrated Accounting Software and many more.

A Freight Forwarding Software, for example, is designed especially for small Freight Forwarders and Warehouse Management Companies. It can handle Ocean Freight, Air Freight along with Warehousing. Newest version releases have taken the request of customers in consideration and added the QuickBooks export support. That means that now you can easily export invoices to QuickBooks, saving time and reducing errors.

A lite suite version will be able to handle all the requirements of a Cargo Warehouse operation including Warehouse Receives, Warehouse Withdraws, Labels, On Hand Reports and Invoices. The Ocean Export and Air Export modules may provide an array of features like Quotes, Bookings, Manifest, Labels, Waybills (Houses, Masters, Directs) and reports that will let you keep track of your company operations at all times.

Still, if you can afford to spend more, there are more powerful softwares that will offer access to cargo status information directly through your company’s internet website, providing your customers with a powerful online shipment tracking tool. Authorized users can search, view and print information in various forms, such as: Warehouse Receipts, House Airwaybills, Master Airwaybills, House Bill of Ladings, Master Bill of Ladings and Cargo Manifest.

A complete featured suite offloads much of the administrative overhead associated with addressing client shipment inquiries, helping you to reduce cost and increase employee productivity. Also agents can enter POD information without having to call your office. They may also keep track of all cargo going to their office.

Usually, the software companies understand how critical it is for their clients to have their logistics software running 100% of the time. That is why they give their support department the higher priority. Any technical support team is committed to provide superior support service, and is available twenty four hours, seven days a week.

The companies’ staffs now understand that today is not only the software, but also the customer support that is critical to the clients. Their goal should be to build a relationship of trust with their customers and that is why 24/7 support is absolutely necessary to be provided. This kind of support can easily be achieved using the technology of the Internet. If one is interested in any of their products or services, he/she should be able to visit a contact page for more information, at least on how to get in touch with them. Also, if a customer has non-time critical issues or just has some questions, an e-mail should be provided for any inquires or an online support request form. Any problem should be resolved within a few hours, if the service is professional.

Think about the advantages of purchasing a logistics software! It will improve your time and experiences in your business area.

If your company is at the point that it ships enough goods to benefit from truckload (TL) shipping, achieving the optimal truckload transportation management system will require careful consideration, beginning with what logistics option you should choose. In most cases, companies have three basic options for applying logistics to the shipping process: hiring an in house logistics expert; contracting with a third party logistics (3PL) provider; or implementing TL logistics software-also known as truckload logistics software.

If your company feels like other shippers, it would probably prefer to have its own logistic expert on location. But, if adding a $70,000-$90,000 salary to your payroll isn’t acceptable, then contracting with a 3PL provider for TL shipping solutions or implementing logistics software are more affordable options.

To understand what you get when you hire a 3PL provider, it helps to distinguish the four types of 3PL providers: standard 3PL providers, which offer basic 3PL services and usually don’t feature 3PL as their main function; service developers, which offer a more specialized range of services than standard 3PL providers; customer developers, which manage a company’s entire shipping process but don’t suggest innovative shipping solutions; and customer adapters, which manage a company’s shipping process and propose innovative solutions.

If you were only looking for TL shipping solutions, hiring a standard 3PL provider or a service developer would be the most cost effective option. However, these types of providers typically place their customers with carriers that offer third party logistics providers a discounted rate that they profit from by charging their customers a rate that exceeds it.

If you think that this scenario sounds disingenuous, it is, especially as it places the provider’s interests above the customer’s in such a way that a customer has little chance of realizing optimal truckload shipping solutions, which is why it turned to the provider in the first place. TL logistics software, on the other hand, removes this situation by doing the work of a logistic expert and allowing companies to become their own logistics provider.

Like a logistic expert or customer adapter, the software evaluates every aspect of the truckload shipping process (i.e. route analysis and optimization, freight optimization, payment arrangements, etc.) and presents companies with a list of ranked shipping options that can be selected through the use of a user-friendly interface. If cost savings is a major goal in your company’s shipping process, logistics software offers a dual cost savings approach: it negates the need to outsource logistics and uncovers shipping solutions that offer the lowest price for you shipping needs.